entry way project

So hubby left for work today which means its just me and the dog for the next two weeks.  What to do with myself?  Well I do have to return to 'the city' next weekend for my grandson "THE BUG"'s 3rd birthday party, but in the meantime I needed something to occupy my time.

We enter our home through the basement and have a large mudroom to enter by.  I had a closet built when we were finishing this longish narrowish room.  Its a great walk-in closet with one side to hold our coats and the other to hold my shoes - there are a lot of them.  I have a freestanding shelf thingy to hold everything else. This stand thingy is not nearly big enough, but it is big enough to be in the way.  I need an alternative.

That's where this ugly thing comes in.

 It's old,dirty, has some crayon art, and kind of smelly.  The picture doesn't show how beat up it is actually.

Anyway, this is my project.  Watch for the finished project!!